Variable antenna



Nov. 24, I953 N. c. AMEN VARIABLE ANTENNA 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 28,1951 E mm INVENTOR. Nicholas C H Patented Nov. 24, 1.953

UNITED STAT S RAT T OFFICE This invention relates to antennas ingeneral, but it is especially adapted to receiving antennas fortelevision programs. Present day antennas are not satisfactory in thattheir lengths are fixed and are not adjustable for perfect or nearperfeet wave length reception. Present day antenna reflectors are notadjustable either and therefore cannot provide emcient power buildup noreffective shielding performance. Furthermore, so far as known, antennasnow in use are not rotatable and cannot be turned for purposes ofdirectivity so as to take advantage of clear-shot reception or be set incorrect position for bias reception waves when the short waves aredeflected by hazards upon the earths surface which may be magnetic orjust physical impediments such as mountains, buildings etc.

Television requires a wide bandwidth for the reason that a great deal ofintelligence must be transmitted per unit of time. Such a necessarycondition is vexed with a variety of interferences which may cause ghostsignals, picture shimmying and shading effects which can and do martelevision reception and irk the tele-audiences. It is believed thatthis invention will remedy most of these well known faults, if not allof them, and thus be a means for presenting better television of greaterinterest.

The most important object of this invention is to provide bettertelevision reception through the employment of a simple, durable andcompact structural device that is not very expensive to make andmanufacture, but a device which is efficient in use and service and onethat is most effective for the purposes intended.

Other objects, advantages and features of this invention will be moreapparent upon careful perusal of the accompanying drawings, thesubjoined and detailed description, the preamble to this specificationand the claims appended hereto.

Below, applicant describes one of the preferable forms of his invention,but it is to be understood that the drawings and description are not tolimit the invention in any sense whatsoever except as the same may belimited by the prior pertinent art.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevational view, parts in section and parts broken away,showing an antenna device that is adjustable in wave length, adjustablein direction finding, and equipped with an adjustable reflector;

Figure 2 is a plan view of that shown in Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is an end elevational view of that shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is an elevational view of a portion of the reflector;

Figure 5 is an enlarged elevational view of a spool-pulley unit;

Figure 6 is a plan View of that shown in Fig.

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of the inventionshowing how the antenna frame is mounted upon a standard.

The particular form of the invention illustrated in the drawings, isshown as mounted upon a structural slab l which may be the roof of abuilding, but it is to be understood that any suitable and convenientmeans may be employed for supporting the antenna above ground to thedesired height. A flanged tubing 2 is employed as a standard for theantenna frame 5 and the flange 3 of the standard is rested upon orsecured to the slab I. fhen required, an extended tube or rod portion orstud means i at the top center of the frame =5 may be employed forattachment of guy wires and the like so as to give the antennasturdiness and firmness. Such a stud means is provided with a swiveljoint so that the antenna frame 5 can be turned in various directions.

The frame 5 has the elongated bottom member 6 which is spaced from asimilar top member i, the two members being rigidly positioned by theupright side members 8 and 9. This entire frame may be an integral pieceof light metal or plastic material or the frame may be fabricated fromsingle pieces and the ends of them suitably joined together. The bottommember E3 is secured to the top of a ball bearing race head it by boltsor other suitable means and this head is supported by the top end of thestandard 2 by the plurality of ball bearings it.

The frame member 6 has a bore it which accommodates a rod or tube it ofinsulating or non-insulating material, and this rod terminates in aflanged member iii which is firmly secured to the bottom surface of thetop frame member i, as shown. The race head it has a depending flange iit which is a spacer between the standard 2 and a tubular shaft memberii, the top end of this shaft member being secured to the inner surfaceof the race head flange it by suitable means which may be spot weldingin the event these structural. members he of metal; thus it can be seenthat the tubular shaft I? can be turned in either direction and thatthis can turn the race head is as well as the frame 5 for directivitypurposes.

The bottom end of the tube I1 is provided with a bevelled gear is whichis keyed thereto and which is in mesh with a similar bevelled gear I9that. is .reyed to a control rod 20. This control rod leads to someremote suitable place and is provided with some crank means (not shown)for turning it. The bottom end of the rod or tube It is also providedwith a bevelled gear indicated at 2| which is in mesh with a similargear 22 that is keyed to a rod 23, this rod having at its remote end,not shown, some means for turning it such as a crank, for instance.

At one end of the antenna frame there is journalled a rod 24 upon whichthere is a plurality of pulley wheels 25 anchored thereto inpredetermined spaced relationship. A similar rod 26 is journalled at theother end of the frame and this rod also has a plurality of pulleywheels indicated by 22 anchored thereto. The center mast or tube is hasa plurality of spool-pulley units 28 keyed thereto in spacedrelationship so as to be in alinein ent with the pulley wheels 25 and21.

Each spool-pulley unit consists of a spool or drum element 29, see Fig.5, which is integral with or attached to a pulley wheel 39 so that theseparts turn together and with the shaft or rod M. On opposite sides ofthe spool are fixed the ends of a pair of antenna ribbons or hands 3!and 32 and the distal ends of these bands each have a coiled springattached thereto, one end of the spring being attached to the ribbon andthe other end attached to one end of an insulator element 34. The otherend of the insulator is attached to a guide wire 35 which passes aroundits re spective pulley wheel 25 and the other end of which is fixed tothe pulley 30 as by screw or any other suitable means. There is a pluraity of these ribbons as indicated by the reference characters 3i to 44incl. and they all are similarly constructed and arranged so that whenthe mast or control rod M is turned, all the conductor ribbons are woundor unwound in unison upon their respective spools 2B. The springs 33'operate to keep the conductor ribbons taut at all times. Note, that theribbons wind on their respective spools in the same direction as well asthe wires upon their respective pulley wheels 35. for instance; eachspool winds its pair of ribbons one within the other, and this formsinterwound pairs of convolutes. In this manner, the ribbons, or dipoles,of each spool are shortened or len thened at will so as to exactly matchelectrically, and to the particular wave band or channel desired. Theseribbons may be of any material that is a good electrical conductor suchas copper, aluminum, or other metals with or without a non-corrosiveplating or cover.

The antenna means just described is provided with a reflector unit,screen or shield 45 to one side of the antenna. 5 and the reflector isspaced one-half, one-quarter, or some other predetermined wave lengthfrom the antenna when they are in paralle1 registration as shown inFigs. 2 and 3 most clearly. The reflector consists of a rectangularframe having the bottom member 46, top member 47, and side uprightmembers 43 and 49. This frame may be a single unitary integral structureor one fabricated from individual members which have their ends securedtogether in any suitable manner. The bottom member 46 has an offsetportion 50 so as to accommodate certain structural parts and a gear. Theframe supports a plurality of horizontal conductor wires or reflectortype conductors 5 l, these wires being held taut between the endinsulator rods 52 and 53 which are slightly spaced from the framemembers 43 and 49, respectively. These wires iii are preferably alinedwith the ribbons of the antenna proper so as to have par allelreflective qualities. All the reflector wires 5% are connected to a nonpick-up lead-in 5!].

The offset portion of the reflector frame is bridged by the structuralrod or strut 5d which. has bearing connection with a fixed bracketmember 55 that is firmly secured to one side portion of the standard 2.Keyed to the rod 5? there is worm wheel 55 that is operated by worm 5?that in turn is rotated or turned by a rod that leads to some remoteplace where a crank may be provided (not shown) for turning the rod; andin this way the reflector may be placed in various inclined positionswith respect to the antenna proper. A bracket 59 with a sleeve extendsfrom the standard 2 to which it is firmly attached, and the sleeve is asupport bearing means for the worm 5'3. Obviously, chain and sprocketmeans as well as cable and pulley means be substituted for the Wormwheel, worm and their rods for operational purpose.

A non-pick-up lead wire or cable it is provided within the pipe i l forconducting signals to a television set (not shown). Well known switchesmay be provided so that the lead-in wire or" cable 5d of the reflectorcan be electrically connected to the lead-in from the antenna ifdesired.

In order to maintain the ribbons 3i to i l clean and thus reduceelectrical resistance and/or wave resistance, a pair of brushes isprovided for each conductor ribbon and indicated by the numerals Gil and85. These brushes are supported by bracket means {52 and 53 and thebracket means Eli and 53?, as shown. The brushes til and ti constitute apair the brushes lid and :35 con-- stitute the other pair of eachspool-pull y unit. The brackets (52 and (iii are supported by a commonfree riding bearing sleeve 68 and the other two brackets are supportedby the common free riding bearing sleeve lit. By this means, theconductor ribbons are kept clean and thus oper ate at a highereificiency in receiving weal;

waves.

It is, of course, understood that various changes, substitutions andmodifications may be made in the details of form, style, design,material and construction of the whole or any part of the specificallydescribed embodiment of this invention without departing from the spiritthereof; such possible changes and modifications are considered as beingwithin the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. in an ant-en, with means device laying a standard sun-porn a iramehaving rnauprigh s, a jourterially spaced apart lateral nailed mastextending npwa ard and along a line intermediate the uprights andsubstantially parallel therewith, a spool and pulley unit fixed to themast, a pair of flexible conductor ribbons having their proximate endsfixed to the spool and their other ends directed in opposite directionstoward their respective uprights, a rod parallel to and supported neareach upright, a pulley wheel on each rod, a cable fixed to the distalend of one conductor ribbon and extending around its respective pulleywheel and the other end of the cable fixed to pulley on the mast,another cable fixed to the distal end of the other conductor ribbon andextending around its respective pulley wheel and having its other endfixed to the pulley on the mast, and means for turning the mast so as towind or unwind the conductor ribbons and cables to vary the wave lengthsof the ribbons.

2. The antenna device recited in claim 1 wherein the standard is ahollow tube and the mast passes therethrough along with a shaft meansfor turning the frame of the antenna.

3. The antenna device recited in claim 1 wherein the conductor ribbonspass through a pair of cleaning brushes, and means extending from themast for supporting the brushes.

4. The antenna device recited in claim 1 Wherein a spring and insulatorcombination means is provided for each cable at the distal end of eachconductor ribbon.

5. The antenna device recited in claim 1 wherein a second frame forsupporting reflector Wires is pivoted to the standard, a plurality ofreflector conductors fixed to the second frame, an offset portion in thebottom of the second frame and a worm wheel journalled therein, and aworm in mesh with the worm wheel for turning it and the second framealong a horizontal axis.

6. The antenna device recited in claim 1 wherein a, second frame ispivoted to the standard, a plurality of refiector wires supported byspaced insulating rods within the second frame, the second frame havinga bottom member that is horizontally pivoted to the standard, and wormwheel and worm means for moving the second frame into various inclinedpositions with respect to e the antenna frame.

7. An antenna device having a hollow standard extending from asupporting means, a journalled hollow shaft extending through thestandard and having an antenna frame fixed to the top thereof, ajournalled mast rod extending through the shaft and frame and providedwith a plurality of spaced apart spool-pulley units which are fixed tothe mast rod, a journalled pulley rod means supported at one end of theframe and substantially parallel to the mast rod, a plurality offlexible conductor ribbons having one of their ends fixed to theirrespective spool and their distal ends fixed to cables which pass partlyaround the pulley rod means and which cables have their other ends fixedto their respective pulley of the spool pulley unit so that the lengthsof the conductor ribbons can be changed by operation of the mast rod andthe position of the frame can be changed by operation of the shaft.

8. The antenna device recited in claim 7 wherein the mentioned conductorribbons and their associated parts are also provided on the oppositeside of the mast rod, a reflector frame horizontally pivoted to thestandard and arranged to be angularly displaced from the antenna frameand also into registration therewith, and a plurality of spaced apartconductors on the reflector frame positioned to be in parallel with theconductor ribbons when the frames are in registration.

NICHOLAS C. AMEN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 2,028,498 Clavier Jan. 21, 1936 2,248,335 Burkhart July 8,1941 2,474,242 Gieringer June 28, 1949 2,476,469 Walker July 19, 19492,492,989 Holstead Jan. 3, 1950 2,558,727 Bernet July 3, 1951 2,559,148Ercolino July 3, 1951 2,577,469 Kumpf Dec. 4, 1951

